TECH TRANSFER NEWS
April 2000
Navy Looking for Answers
(4/1/00) Our readers may be able to help the Navy solve an ongoing
problem. Shipboard watertight doors (WTD) have handles that, when not being used, are
stowed in the vertical direction. The handles are held there in place by spring metal
clamps. Some of these WTDs are operated hundreds of times a day. Unfortunately, the clamps
being used can corrode, lose their spring (which causes the handles to fall down and block
the doorway) or simply break off. The MTTC is looking for a replacement for these clips.
They do not have to be made of metal, but, if they are metal, they must be able to
withstand salt-water environment. If you have a product or an idea that we could propose
to the Navy, please call or email Dick Gilbert at the numbers at the bottom of this page.
Attention: "Closet
Inventors": MTTC Luncheon Speakers Available
Are you an inventor? How many of us have had
an idea for a product, or a way to make things, while we were driving in the car, taking a
shower, or otherwise going about our normal business? If you’ve ever had a
"brainstorm" like that, have you done anything about it? Would you know what to
do about it? Would you really know if your idea has any potential? And how do you get it
to market before someone steals your great idea, or you go broke in the process?
Not only does
MTTC, through their ITAP (Innovative Technologies Assistance Program) plan help inventors
assess their product, protect it, develop it, and get good inventions to market, now the
ITAP team from MTTC is ready to tell your group how we do it. Luncheon or meeting speakers
are now available to entertain your gathering on the subject of "Idea to
Income." For more details, contact Dave Goddard at 367-2186, or Brian Daly at
452-1131.
Navy's
Manager of Destroyer Program
Visits
louisville and Tours MTTC
April
17, 2000; Louisville KY- The local chapter of the American
Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE) invited U.S. Navy Captain Fred Parker, Program Manager
for the DDG-51 (Arleigh Burke Class) Guided Missile Destroyer, to speak at their April 17th
meeting. During his visit to Louisville, Captain Parker toured the MTTC and reviewed some
of our Technology Transfer projects.The MTTC Technology Transfer project for DDG-51 Louvers
directly affected the ships in the DDG-51 program. We also explained the MTTC's role in
the following Technology Transfer projects: Low Maintenance Bilge Paint, Stratica Deck
Tile, Superbolt Fasteners, Watertight Door Hinges, K-Flex/Ecotherm Insulation and Topside
Connector Covers.
In addition
to the MTTC, Captain Parker also visited the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Pt.
Hueneme Division, Louisville Detachment, United Defense and Raytheon at the Technology
Park of Greater Louisville. The DDG-51 Class Destroyer program contracts with United
Defense and Raytheon to supply shipboard ordnance to the Navy.
Captain Parker's
visit was important to the entire defense complex at the Technology Park of Greater
Louisville, because the Captain's program is responsible for a multi-billion dollar annual
expenditure for shipbuilding at both Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine and at Ingalls
Shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi. It is the only active combatant shipbuilding program
in the Navy. Since Naval Ordnance Station closed, many people have forgotten that private
contractors are still overhauling Navy torpedo tubes, gun barrels, and decoy launchers,
and producing main battery guns and PHALANX Close-In Weapon Systems. In addition, NSWC Pt.
Hueneme Division still conducts In-Service Engineering Agent duties at the former Ordnance
Station. The DDG-51 Program presents a significant opportunity for the Louisville defense
manufacturing community, and we were honored to have Captain Fred Parker visit our
facilities and review our progress and accomplishments.
MTTC Fleet Maintenance Projects
(4/1/00) The Project Status is as
follows:
Portable Chlorinator. The installation of
injection ports and other ship modifications is complete. All equipment and supplies
have been delivered to the USS CARR. Final crew training was accomplished in
December 1999. Operational tests have now commenced.
Lynx Motor Shock.
A new robust design, with the Space Shuttle APU application in mind, has been completed.
Current plans are to produce this motor from February - May 2000, conduct
laboratory tests with Boeing and then to subject this motor to level 1 shock in the summer
of 2000.
Heat
Exchanger Descaler. This has become a very high visibility project in the
last two months. COMNAVSURFLANT has expressed a strong desire to accelerate it in
order to provide shipboard capability as soon as possible. As a result,
COMNAVSEASYSCOM has become personally involved. NSWC Carderock/Philadelphia has
prepared the test plan and has initiated actions with the Naval Environmental Health
Center and the test activities. Limited onboard trials have been conducted.
Watertight
Door Hinge. The 1.25 million cycle operational test has been
completed. There were three clear winners. In order to expedite fleet
introduction, limited sole source procurements from each winning concept will be
conducted, with initial hardware being used to fix some especially notorious
installations. Concurrently, a competitive procurement will be staged among the
three to obtain the best price for a very large procurement to support the needs of the
entire fleet. This project is considered to
be completed successfully.
Bilge Paint Qualification. This is a
Secretary of the Navy high interest item. The USS DETROIT has been assigned
as the test ship. A supply of both Alocit and Euronavy has been procured.
Corrosion Engineering Services, Inc. is the performing contractor. NAVSEA and
MTTC have combined resources to apply both of these paint systems on DETROIT for
evaluation and comparison. Actual ship preparation and paint application is
ongoing. The performance of these paints will be evaluated under fleet conditions
for an extended period of time.
Topside
Connector Corrosion Protection. The "Gel-in-the-Middle"clamshell
connector cover tests have led to the conclusion that this product will not meet Navy
needs. However, the Rayvolve (type N, roll-on) cover, which was also included in
this project, has shown excellent results to date. While laboratory tests are
ongoing, several were installed on the Phalanx CIWS mount on USS MCCLUSKY (FFG-41)
Shipboard technicians have used the re-entry capability and have expressed great
satisfaction with the concept.
K-Flex Eco Insulation.
Operational tests are ongoing on USS RUSHMORE during its deployment. At the
same time, MTTC has initiated a study of some insulation that was removed during the
evaluation in June 1999. This material had been used at the upper temperature limit
of its specification and had exhibited some "charring". We would like to
determine whether this has any effect on the insulating qualities of K-Flex Eco. A
follow-up assessment occurred on RUSHMORE in January 2000. Additional samples were sent to
the lab for testing.
DDG-51 Class Louvers.
The test louvers on USS COOK continue to exhibit excellent performance per SURFLANT.
Based on the results to date, the Navy has funded the coating of all louvers on
ships under construction and three complete ship-sets for operational units. This
project is complete and based on strong positive Project Office and Fleet feedback, it is considered to be a complete
success.
Remote Valve Actuators. This
project is in the process of being modified and expanded. The original effort
to test two Tri-Tec actuators has been scaled back to one unit and it is expected to be
delivered to M. Rosenblatt, Inc. this month for installation. The work is being
expanded to include an additional actuator manufactured by Limitorque.
Ecotherm
High Temperature Insulation. MTTC has issued a work order to BBN, Inc. A
test ship has been requested from SURFPAC. If successful, this effort will undoubtedly
lead to changes in current shipbuilding program specifications.
Distilling Plant Anti-Scale.
NAVSEA has provided a
Statement of Work and MTTC is initiating discussions with ANSWC/CD/SSES, Philadelphia, PA.
Anti-Sweat Paint. NAVSEA has provided a Statement
of Work and MTTC is initiating discussions with GeoCenters, Inc.
Stratica Deck Tile.
NAVSEA is preparing a statement of work to describe the required testing.
Please
Give Us A Call
For additional news or information about opportunities involving technology
transfer, send an e-mail to:
Dick Gilbert OR Dave Goddard
Phone: (502)
367-2186; Fax (502) 367-4261
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